People first go to Paris for its clichés: climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, losing an afternoon people watching on the terrace of a café, listening to an accordion player on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur, wandering along the Seine, getting lost in the Louvre. These are all great getting-to-know Paris activities, but as with anywhere you get to go several times, gradually you find your off-the-tourist-trail favorite spots: your favorite bakery, bistro, street, park or arrondissement.
I have to say that I’m not objective at all about Paris; I’m literally in love with the place for its qualities and its faults (that’s true love, isn’t it?). I can’t wait to go back there again (soon, soon), and in the meantime, I dream about my favorite things in the City of Light: wandering in the Jardins du Luxembourg early in the morning just after it opened; sitting on the steps of the Église Sainte-Madeleine, nibbling on some snack I just bought at Fauchon; grocery shopping at La Grande Épicerie; and eating macarons.